Hookslide'sHot Box

The Travelers Return to Dickey-Stephens Parkon Thursday, July 7

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Comment Champion
"College draftees get bigger signing bonuses, typically. HS kids get to free agency quicker and hence stand to make much more money. There's actually a good series of articles about this on fangraphs.com. It actually uses Cole and Tyler Chatwood as examples. You should consider investigating the details before arbitrarily taking a stance. Maybe see if Chatwood would trade his spot in the Angels rotation and 3 months of MLB service time for the glory years of overuse at college." -- Mars

Let's play 'Fact or Fiction'!

It's time to play Fact or Fiction, the fun game where Travelers fans get to decide what is true and what is crazy rumor! In the spirit of Captain Bully S. Whizbang, the truth-to-BS ratio of the items below could sway more toward BS, and no truth is herewith claimed among these items floating in the rumor mill.

This edition of Fact or Fiction focuses on recent rumors about former Travs general manager Chief Operating Office Bill Valentine, who abruptly resigned prior to the start of the 2009 season. Post your answers for a chance to win dinner for two with Shelly, the pro-slavery horse mascot who sold out to big oil.

Fact or Fiction: Valentine, serving in his role as one of two vice presidents for the Texas League Board of Directors, took a trip to Major League Baseball's winter meetings in Orlando and billed the Travs for the trip.

Fact or Fiction: The Travelers front office paid this bill for Valentine's trip, even though he is not supposed to be on the payroll anymore.

Fact or Fiction: Some members or the Travelers' Board of Directors and stockholders are really upset with Valentine for charging this trip to the Travs and for other past simmering issues.

Fact or Fiction: Other members of the Travs' board suggested Travs general manager Pete Laven pay the bill and just keep quiet about it.

Fact or Fiction: Bill Valentine is considering suing the Travelers in order to get his wife's job back as a bookkeeper in the organization.

Fact or Fiction: The Travs tried to hold a secret hot-stove meeting with Torii Hunter in attendance exclusively for people of their choosing. Then when it was canceled because snow in Dallas kept Hunter from making it, they scheduled another hot-stove meeting for all fans and acted like the other one was never planned. And they got away with it!

that individuals sometimes reject growth and responsibility. Regardless of social strata or cultural origin, examples of both children and adults who are apathetic, alienated and irresponsible are abundant.